SAN MARCOS: Three people stabbed during fight at Jumping Turtle

SAN MARCOS ---- A long line for the women's restroom may have
sparked one of several brawls early Saturday at a controversial San
Marcos nightclub and restaurant.

Three people were stabbed, one person was beaten, a security
guard was hit in the face with a bottle, and two women were
arrested, Sheriff's Department officials said.

Every deputy in San Marcos, and some from surrounding
unincorporated areas, were dispatched: 10 deputies, two detectives,
two sergeants and a lieutenant.

It was the latest of a series of incidents at the Jumping
Turtle, at 1660 Capalina Road. In the past, San Marcos officials
have accused the nightclub of violating the city's noise ordinance,
having an intoxicated person on site, failing to have an owner or
approved manager on the premises during all entertainment events,
and operating as a nightclub without a permit.

Citing the violations, the city recently decided to revoke the
Jumping Turtle's entertainment permit. The club, a popular venue
with youth, is fighting the decision and earlier this month filed a
federal lawsuit against the city.

About 1 a.m. Saturday, a force of 15 deputies and supervisors
raced to reports of a melee involving at least 20 people at the
nightclub, said sheriff's Capt. Don Crist of the San Marcos
station.

Deputies found a large number of people in the parking lot and
were told at least five fights had broken out inside and outside
the nightclub. It took them a while to restore order so paramedics
could enter safely, Crist said.

"Several people were trying to get into the restroom and were
angry that they could not get into the restroom," Crist said.

Crist said one person who called the Sheriff's Department to
report the melee told them to send "as many cops as possible."

A female security guard was taken to the hospital with injuries
from being hit in the face with a bottle, Crist said. He said the
guard was hired to protect a rap singer performing at the
nightclub.

The guard identified two women as her two attackers. Irene
Cardenas, 32, of Escondido, was arrested on suspicion of assault
with a deadly weapon, the bottle, and Valerie Valadez, age 32, was
cited on suspicion of battery and released, Crist said.

Two people injured at the nightclub turned up at Palomar Medical
Center in Escondido later in the morning, Crist said. A female
victim told deputies she and the security guard had been dragged
out of the women's room and attacked.

She reportedly said she was hit and kicked in the hallway, then
pushed into the parking lot and beaten by several men and
women.

The other victim told deputies he tried to break up a fight in
the restroom hallway and realized after being pushed into the
parking lot that he had been stabbed in the abdomen and both
arms.

A fourth victim, found lying on the front nightclub steps when
deputies first arrived, was taken to a hospital with stab wounds to
one leg. He told deputies he was attacked after he walked out of
the men's room and into a fight already in progress, Crist
said.